Rosario Iluminado en la Iglesia de la Adoración, ofrecido por las victimas des tsunami Illumined Rosary in the Adoration Church, offered for the tsunami victims Lichter-Rosenkranz in der Anbetungskirche für die Opfer des Tsunami
P. Klaus Desch, con la Cruz de la Unidad para el Santuario en Nigeria Fr. Klaus Desch with the Unity Cross for the Shrine in Nigeria P. Klaus Desch mit dem Kreuz der Einheit für das Heiligtum in Nigeria
P. Benito Angeles Fernández, Hna Mirjam Metzler (asesora de la Rama de Madres en la diocesis de Rottenburg-Stuttgart), P. Martin Dörflinger, en la Oficina de Prensa Fr. Benito Angeles Fernández, Sr. Mirjam Metzler, and Fr. Martin Dörflinger in the PressOffice Pfr. Benito Angeles Ferández, Schw. Mirjam Metzler und Pfr. Martin Dörflinger im PressOffice
Chicas de Chile, con la Hna María Julia Girls from Chile, with Sr. Maria Julia Mädchen aus Chile mit Schw. Maria Julia
Una joven de Ecuador enciende una vela en el Rosario Iluminado A young woman from Ecuador lights a candle in the Illumined Rosary Eine junge Frau aus Ecuador entzündet ein Licht im Lichter-Rosenkranz
90 años de la imagen de la MTA en el Santuario Original: muestra de imágenes hecha por Sandra Mascaretti Eichenberger Ninety years of the MTA picture in the Original Shrine: sample of pictures made by Sandra Mascaretti Eichenberger Neunzig Jahre MTA-Bild im Urheiligtum: Musterkollektion von Bilder von Sandra Mascaretti Eichenberger Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005
Fotos: © 2005

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. It looked almost like a heart – the rosary of roses and lights that on January 22 was formed on the steps of the altar of the Adoration Church, with the Third International Auxiliary presiding, and the names of thousands of people in the center of the "crown of roses", written on stars, fruit of hundreds of mails that before Christmas and during the whole Christmas season had arrived in Schoenstatt. With the Christmas trees and the manger still there, this first Illumined Rosary of the Year 2005, with the Hail Mary said in Spanish and German, and few but dedicated participants from Germany, Ecuador, and Argentina, was offered for the victims of the flood in South East Asia and for all those whose names were written on the stars. The rosary was prayed in spiritual community with the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth of South East Brazil celebrating their 30^th anniversary, and the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth in Peru during their National Camp.

A young woman from Ecuador who together with her mother happened to be present for the Illumined Rosary, was surprised and glad to hear a woman from Argentina pray in Spanish… The Illumined Rosary of January 25, with the invitation to each participant to become part of a living rosary praying a Hail Mary, was offered in Spanish and in German, making it easy to feel part of one praying family without knowing each others’ language. Gestures, voice, rose and lights spoke and were understood. The Illumined Rosary was sponsored by a group of Professional Women's’ League who were in Schoenstatt for a weekend retreat; Rosita and Lito Mussolino, from Mendoza, Argentina, members of the Institute of Schoenstatt Families, represented the Campaign of Argentina, where the Illuminated Rosary was born. The meditations of the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary set the tone for the petitions that were specially said for all the victims - the dead, the surviving – of the tsunami that South East Asia on December 26. As the "crown of roses", as Father Kentenich called the rosary in his talk in June 1949, in Villa Ballester, Argentina, was growing Hail Mary by Hail Mary, rose by rose, candle by candle, the climate of prayer and solidarity grew. At times, three or four persons formed lines to get to the microphone and say their Hail Mary, at times there was a moment of waiting for the next one to go ahead, at times it needed some encouragement: but during the whole time, some 30, 40 persons were gathered around the Blessed Mother, offering their own pain and suffering, their joys and hopes and those of so many others, to her and her Son. "It was interesting to see how many chance visitors stayed for some Hail Mary and then left, I am sure, all of them participated in a certain way and were given these special graces that we always experience when we pray the Holy rosary," said Alexa Clemens, who stayed near the entrance of the church to welcome those coming later. Among those to stay only for some Hail Mary, were a group of kindergarten children visiting the crib, and three girls from Chile, students of the German school in Valdivia studying in Germany, who visited Schoenstatt just that weekend.

"You just feel that you are part of a stream of life and prayer that is connected with this way to pray the rosary", said Gabriela Sudermann, "and with the presence of the Auxiliary, who seems to carry all the rosaries prayed by Don Joao and the missionaries of the Campaign all over the world." The next Illumined Rosary in the Adoration Church is scheduled for March 5.

A personal encounter in the framework of commitment for human dignity

In September 2004, the Schoenstatt Mothers of the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart crowned the Blessed Mother as Queen of Human Dignity; in order to show their love to her, they decided to bring her crowning gifts that can help her work for the dignity of others – money donated for a children’s hospice in Germany, and for a project promoted by Fr. Benito Angeles Fernandez, Secretary of the Bishops Conference of the Dominican Republic and member of the Institute of Diocesan Priests, who is working for a center of assistance for pregnant young women from poor conditions. Thanks to the contacts of Fr. Martin Dörflinger both with Fr. Benito Angeles Fernandez and the Mothers’ League, the mothers and got to know the project in the Dominican Republic, a project meant to protect human life at its beginning, threatened with abortion – a choice that young women there make mostly because of extreme poverty, ignorance and shame… Almost one year after the first contacts, and four months after donation some 10,000 € for this project, Sister Mirjam Metzler – spiritual advisor of the Schoenstatt Mothers’ League -, Fr. Martin Dörflinger, and Fr. Benito Angeles Fernandez – who had taken part in the General Congress of his community - met in Schoenstatt. It was an hour of intense sharing experiences and visions regarding the protection of human dignity. "It is, first of all, Mary in the hour of annunciation, Mary who bears growing life – growing LIFE, Jesus! – in her womb, in her unconditional acceptance of all consequences, who makes me give all and everything for women and their unborn children."

A Unity Cross from Argentina, for the Shrine in Nigeria

Sandra and Fabian Eichenberger in Rosario, Argentina, have dedicated their professional life to crafting wooden religious art, and specially create beautiful pictures of the Blessed Mother in different shapes and sizes, Unity Crosses, and, of course, pictures of the Pilgrim MTA. "The Blessed Mother is so beautiful", Sandra says, "she deserves beautiful frames for her beautiful picture". After offering these pictures and crosses to the great joy of many pilgrims, on September 8, 2004, at the blessing of the Shrine in Belmonte, for the 90^th anniversary of the MTA picture to arrive in the Original Shrine, come April, some samples of their MTA pictures and Unity Crosses came to Schoenstatt, Germany. But Sandra sure never imagined one of the Unity Crosses to go to the newly dedicated Shrine in Nigeria! Father Klaus Desch, who works in Nigeria, and these days was in Schoenstatt, literally fell in love with the Cross, that will soon be at the altar of the Shrine, thus uniting three continents in this sign of unity. May be neither Sandra nor many others either know about a profound bond that unites Argentina, and Nigeria, as the Schoenstatt Fathers from Argentina assumed a special commitment with their brothers in Nigeria, beginning with the sending of the first 100 MTA pictures for the Pilgrim MTA's to be made at the beginning of the Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign, organized by Fr. Pablo Pol. Chance, or causality? The Blessed Mother and Father Kentenich know the answer, clear and evident in the light of Divine Providence, in the wise plans and guidance of God the Father.